Getty Images and British Gymnastics join forces to reframe visual representation of women and girls in gymnastics
Mar 24, 2026
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London ‑ 24 March 2026: Getty Images, a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace, have partnered with British Gymnastics as part of its 'She Leaps' initiative, on a project to explore how women and girls want to be visually represented in gymnastics.
The partnership represents a pivotal opportunity to redefine how female gymnasts and women working in gymnastics are seen, celebrated and understood across the UK, and globally.
According to Getty Images’ VisualGPS research, seven in 10 sports fans globally would like to see female athletes portrayed in a way that focuses on their skill and athleticism rather than their beauty, glamour or sex appeal.
Through a series of workshops and a wider survey, this project will explore how women and girls who participate, compete and work in the sport want to be represented visually – engaging elite gymnasts, younger athletes, the coaching and workforce community, and parents, carers and gymnasts across recreational gymnastics.
The project is the latest part of British Gymnastics’ broader She Leaps initiative launched earlier this month focussing on building female empowerment in and through gymnastics. Its ambition is to maximise the positive impact gymnastics has for women and girls – building on its position as one of the only sports is predominantly female across all aspects of the sport – participants, workforce and fans.
Claire Murray, Head of Strategic Content & Campaigns at British Gymnastics said:
“Imagery in sport is powerful, it can be inspiring but also act as a barrier if certain stereotypes are reinforced that can prevent women and girls feeling like they belong in sport.
“We want to ensure gymnastics is a place where all feel welcome, safe and supported and where young females can thrive ‑ not having to worry about conforming to out of date ideals of who can be a gymnast.
“Thank you to the team at Getty Images for sharing our passion to make a positive difference in this space and thank you to everyone who has shared their views so far. We are excited to see and use the results of this work to support and empower females across gymnastics and encourage even more people to see that gymnastics can be for them too.”
As a trusted visual advisor to media companies, brands and sports rights holders, Getty Images champions the authentic representation of women and girls in sport, and helps organisations change perceptions through imagery that reflects the reality, diversity and ambitions of women at all levels in their sport.
To drive the change, Getty Images has previously created a set of practical Women & Girls in Sport Guidelines to help creatives, art directors, and marketers with the creation and selection of visual content for inclusive visual storytelling.
Jacqueline Bourke, Senior Director of Creative EMEA at Getty Images, said: “At Getty Images, we work closely with sports organisations to help them understand how imagery shapes perception, opportunity, connection and commercial value. Challenging stereotypes around women and girls in sport is central to that mission, and it’s why we’re proud to collaborate with British Gymnastics as part of their wider ‘She Leaps’ initiative.
“By listening directly to women and girls in gymnastics, and grounding the foundations of the workshops in our VisualGPS research, we will turn this insight into practical creative guidance. Through this collaboration, we’re supporting British Gymnastics with their mission to encourage participation and set a new standard for how gymnastics is visually told, from grassroots to elite level, in a way that feels authentic to those who participate in it and meaningful to those who watch it.”
The findings from the survey and workshops, which will be released later in the year, will serve as the blueprint for how creatives, media companies and brands capture and share gymnastics content. It also has the potential to lead to further activations and partnerships with brands who want to support women’s sport in a meaningful and impactful way.
Alongside this project on visual representation, She Leaps also involves British Gymnastics collaborating with Inclusive Sportwear on reviewing and updating its clothing policy for gymnastics, and working with female focused brands PEBE, NIXI Body, JUNOFEM and Grace & Green to this week unveil the new ‘She Leaps Health Hub’ to help educate and support females in gymnastics so they can enjoy the benefits of the sport for longer.
On Saturday, British Gymnastics, World Gymnastics and the Home Nations gymnastics associations came together at the 2026 Artistic Gymnastics British Championships to sign the landmark IWG Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration to champion women and girls in sport.
Find out more about She Leaps at www.british‑gymnastics.org and read more about Getty Images’ work on closing the visibility gap with authentic representation of women and girls in sport at www.engage.gettyimages.com/women‑in‑sport.
The partnership represents a pivotal opportunity to redefine how female gymnasts and women working in gymnastics are seen, celebrated and understood across the UK, and globally.
According to Getty Images’ VisualGPS research, seven in 10 sports fans globally would like to see female athletes portrayed in a way that focuses on their skill and athleticism rather than their beauty, glamour or sex appeal.
Through a series of workshops and a wider survey, this project will explore how women and girls who participate, compete and work in the sport want to be represented visually – engaging elite gymnasts, younger athletes, the coaching and workforce community, and parents, carers and gymnasts across recreational gymnastics.
The project is the latest part of British Gymnastics’ broader She Leaps initiative launched earlier this month focussing on building female empowerment in and through gymnastics. Its ambition is to maximise the positive impact gymnastics has for women and girls – building on its position as one of the only sports is predominantly female across all aspects of the sport – participants, workforce and fans.
Claire Murray, Head of Strategic Content & Campaigns at British Gymnastics said:
“Imagery in sport is powerful, it can be inspiring but also act as a barrier if certain stereotypes are reinforced that can prevent women and girls feeling like they belong in sport.
“We want to ensure gymnastics is a place where all feel welcome, safe and supported and where young females can thrive ‑ not having to worry about conforming to out of date ideals of who can be a gymnast.
“Thank you to the team at Getty Images for sharing our passion to make a positive difference in this space and thank you to everyone who has shared their views so far. We are excited to see and use the results of this work to support and empower females across gymnastics and encourage even more people to see that gymnastics can be for them too.”
As a trusted visual advisor to media companies, brands and sports rights holders, Getty Images champions the authentic representation of women and girls in sport, and helps organisations change perceptions through imagery that reflects the reality, diversity and ambitions of women at all levels in their sport.
To drive the change, Getty Images has previously created a set of practical Women & Girls in Sport Guidelines to help creatives, art directors, and marketers with the creation and selection of visual content for inclusive visual storytelling.
Jacqueline Bourke, Senior Director of Creative EMEA at Getty Images, said: “At Getty Images, we work closely with sports organisations to help them understand how imagery shapes perception, opportunity, connection and commercial value. Challenging stereotypes around women and girls in sport is central to that mission, and it’s why we’re proud to collaborate with British Gymnastics as part of their wider ‘She Leaps’ initiative.
“By listening directly to women and girls in gymnastics, and grounding the foundations of the workshops in our VisualGPS research, we will turn this insight into practical creative guidance. Through this collaboration, we’re supporting British Gymnastics with their mission to encourage participation and set a new standard for how gymnastics is visually told, from grassroots to elite level, in a way that feels authentic to those who participate in it and meaningful to those who watch it.”
The findings from the survey and workshops, which will be released later in the year, will serve as the blueprint for how creatives, media companies and brands capture and share gymnastics content. It also has the potential to lead to further activations and partnerships with brands who want to support women’s sport in a meaningful and impactful way.
Alongside this project on visual representation, She Leaps also involves British Gymnastics collaborating with Inclusive Sportwear on reviewing and updating its clothing policy for gymnastics, and working with female focused brands PEBE, NIXI Body, JUNOFEM and Grace & Green to this week unveil the new ‘She Leaps Health Hub’ to help educate and support females in gymnastics so they can enjoy the benefits of the sport for longer.
On Saturday, British Gymnastics, World Gymnastics and the Home Nations gymnastics associations came together at the 2026 Artistic Gymnastics British Championships to sign the landmark IWG Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration to champion women and girls in sport.
Find out more about She Leaps at www.british‑gymnastics.org and read more about Getty Images’ work on closing the visibility gap with authentic representation of women and girls in sport at www.engage.gettyimages.com/women‑in‑sport.
